Raising Montana
by marialisa
Summary: Big changes in their lives as seen through Lindsay's eyes. DL


**A/N**: This is my first D/L fic (well the first _completed _fic!) and owes its existence entirely to **Sally Jetson's** wonderful advice last night ('_Put your Season 2 DVD's on, drool over Danny and imagine that you're Lindsay_'). Not only did she provide the advice she also provided the beta so SallyJ, much, much :wub:

No spoilers and it get's 'K' rating. It's only short but I hope you enjoy it!

**Raising Montana**

'She's starting to come to, now sir; it will only be a few more minutes'

A nurse, speaking in the hushed tones that people employ when they are waiting at someone's bedside……….my bedside.

I know I need to wake up now; that I need to leave this dark, warm, comfortable place and go instead to a place of harsh lights, noise and pain………..and Danny. I can hear his voice now, cracking with emotion and even without seeing his face I know that he has tears in his eyes

'Hey, Montana; time to wake up now. There're people waiting to see you.'

For Danny, I'll leave this place that I am so comfortable in and go to the new, frightening place that I know is waiting for me, because I know that he'll be there with me and that if we do this together it will stop being scary and become instead the grand adventure that we have been talking about for so long now.

And who would have thought that I would be embarking on an adventure with this man; this man that initially infuriated me, teased me, annoyed me until I couldn't stand a day to go by when he wasn't there, calling me Montana, feeding me bugs, slipping through the defenses I had so carefully and lovingly constructed and destroying them so casually.

Even when, I told him no, I stood him up, I fell apart and ran away; he didn't waiver. Those blue eyes that saw through every lie I told him, every excuse I made. Those blue eyes that filled with tears when I told him I had stopped running now, I wanted to move on from my past and into my future and that I wanted that future to be with him.

He could have told me no, he could have made me feel just a fraction of the pain I had given him but he didn't. Instead he swept me into his arms and into his life and we embarked on our grand adventure.

On our wedding day, my big strong tough New Yorker cried as he promised to love me in sickness and in health……………only the sickness came sooner than either of us was expecting. The fear in his eyes when the doctor told us that, despite all our planning, there was no other way, quickly replaced with the courage and the determination that if this was how it had to be, that we would make this work for us.

Someone takes hold of my hand and even though I know there are other people moving quietly around the room, I know that it is Danny, because I always know when it is Danny; I know when he comes into a room, even if I can't see the door; I know when he is happy, sad, angry, frustrated even if his face tells others a different story, and I know that he loves me with all his heart and soul and that he'll be with me every step of the way on the next part of our journey together.

The room is slowly coming into focus but all I can see are my beautiful husband's blue eyes, swimming with tears, every one of the emotions he is feeling, love, fear, pride, joy, tenderness are emblazoned across his face.

'Hey'

His voice cracks with emotion again as he holds my hand in both of his and raises it to his lips and places a soft kiss against its palm.

Stella appears behind him and she has tears in her eyes but unlike my husband she is doing a better job of not letting them spill down her face. She smiles at me

'Hi sweetheart'

I think I must have managed a smile because suddenly they are both beaming happily at me. I try to speak although I'm not sure what it is I want to say but my throat is dry. A nurse appears at the other side of the bed holding a cup with a straw.

'Here you go Mrs Messer, take small sips'

Danny's hands help me to pick my head up slightly, as I take small sips of the ice cold water and slowly become more aware of where I am. My attention is caught by a movement behind the nurse and I can see Mac and Don hovering excitedly in the door to the room.

'Can we come in?'

Mac is waiting to see if the nurse is willing to let them in but Don doesn't care, heading straight for the end of the bed staring down as he slowly shakes his head. He looks up at Danny

'How'd ya manage this then Messer?'

His voice is every bit as emotional as my husband's but Danny ignores him; instead he gets up and moves to end of the bed and picks up a small blue wrapped bundle. The tears are pouring down his face now and he's making no attempt to stop them and I can feel the tears falling down my face too

'Meet your son Lindz'

He places the bundle into my arms and I look into the sleeping face of my son and am flooded with an overwhelming feeling of love for this tiny scrap that Danny and I have created together

'…….and your daughter'

Stella hands the pink wrapped bundle to Danny who tilts it so that I can see my daughter

The sound of Don loudly blowing his nose makes us all laugh and then my eyes are drawn back to my children and my husband………..my family

………and so our new adventure begins.


End file.
